New Delhi: The centre on Tuesday instructed private vaccination centers to not charge more than Rs 780 for Covishield, Rs 1,410 for Covaxin, and Rs. 1,145 for Sputnik V jabs. Private hospitals can charge up to Rs 150 on service charges and the state governments will monitor the prices being charged.
"The price of vaccine doses for private hospitals would be declared by each vaccine manufacturer, and any subsequent changes would be notified in advance. The private hospitals may charge up to a maximum of Rupees 150 per dose as service charges. State Governments may monitor the price being so charged," the order stated.
The centre said that the Co-WIN is putting the required validations in place to ensure that the prices declared by various private COVID Vaccination Centers (CVCs) do not exceed the maximum price. The Co-WIN system will also reset the prices declared by private centers to the maximum value for respective vaccines, wherever the price declared by a CVC exceeds the maximum value.
The centre also said that steps are being taken to put the required validations by the Co-WIN portal to make sure that prices declared by several private COVID-19 vaccination centres do not exceed that mandated by the government. In its order, the centre also highlighted that the prices declared by private COVID-19 vaccination centres need to be reset to the maximum value instructed by the government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that all Indians above 18 years of age will be administered the free COVID-19 vaccine from June 21. Addressing the nation, the PM made it clear that the states will be provided these vaccine doses free of cost from Central government. "The Government of India will provide free vaccine to the states from Monday, June 21, in every state for all citizens above the age of 18 years," Modi said.
The Prime Minister said that the government itself will buy 75 per cent of the total vaccine production from vaccine manufacturers and give it free to the state governments.
Also Watch: